


Yeehawgust Day 9: Ghost Town

by TheSoleWookieCourier



Series: Yeehawgust 2019 [5]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 22:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21417844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSoleWookieCourier/pseuds/TheSoleWookieCourier
Summary: Very angsty. This was one was... hard to write.
Relationships: Male Sole Survivor/Sole Survivor's Spouse
Series: Yeehawgust 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543978
Kudos: 2
Collections: Yeehawgust 2019





	Yeehawgust Day 9: Ghost Town

**Author's Note:**

> Very angsty. This was one was... hard to write.

There was one thing that Erich appreciated about living in the post-apocalypse: there was almost no light pollution, meaning the stars shone like an infinitesimal amount of flecks of diamond dust on an obsidian sheet. The sky was clear, and the waning moon cast just enough light that he didn’t need his Pip-boy light.

Up ahead was the entrance to Vault 111. He hadn’t returned to the Vault since the day he left it, unable to bear the thought of entering the hellhole where his life had ended and begun. As he passed through the gate to the main entrance, every nerve in his body resisted, muscles tensing and chills running down his spine. He stood there for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. Dogmeat, who had awoken when his master had slipped out of the house and followed, whimpered at his side. He nudged Erich’s hand, which snapped the Sole Survivor out of his stupor. Taking several deep breaths, Erich took another step, followed by another until he was at the top of the hill. Each step felt like his boots had been encased in lead and concrete blocks.

The ride down the elevator was agonizing, exacerbated by the lack of light.. Erich kept a white knuckled grip on the handle of his revolver in it’s holster. Aside from his vault suit and militia hat, it was the only other thing he had brought with him. 

The elevator thudded to a stop. The artificial light blinded Erich for a brief second as he tried to readjust to sight. He drew his pistol, holding it at his side with his thumb on the hammer. Cautiously, he stepped out into the lobby area. Aside from the hum of machinery, the only other noise was the sound of boots on metal and dog panting.

“Hello?” Erich called out in vain, knowing he would not get a response. Taking a deep breath of recycled air, Erich made his way up the stairs to the vault door. As he reactivated the door, he thought about the last time he had interacted with this door: running in terror through it’s halls, not even stopping to check and see if there were any other survivors, killing what he now knew were radroaches… 

Shaking his head, he reentered the abandoned Vault 111. Raising his pistol to a more ready stance, Erich walked slowly through the vault. He tried to imagine what this vault would’ve looked like if it was designed to be like Vault 81 or the other “control” vaults. As he entered the Overseer’s office, Erich noticed a large lockbox behind a security gate. Taking a mental note of its location, he pressed on. Bootsteps and dog paws echoed off of the metal walls, reminding the Sole Survivor how the vault had become a ghost city with each step.

As he came to the entrance to the cryo pod chamber, Erich was again blindsided by a wave of emotion. Guilt, panic, fear, love, loss, shame, and anger all collided in his brain like a maelstrom and them dropped like a ship’s anchor to the pit of his stomach. He dropped to one knee, revolver falling out of his hand and skittering across the floor as he grabbed the door frame for support.

After what seemed like a millenium, Erich finally regained his composure enough to stand again. Grabbing his revolver and reholstering it, he hesitantly walked down the aisle to where Nora’s pod was. Without looking directly into the pod, he opened it.

She looked almost peaceful, almost as if she had fallen asleep. Erich reached out and gently caressed her cold cheek and brushed her messy auburn hair out of her face, his fingertips tracing the curves of her face. Silent tears welled up and spilled out of his eyes as he thought of what had been taken from them. A single sob escaped from his lips, followed by a torrent of tortured screams of anguish and pain. He found himself apologizing over and over, apologizing for anything that crossed his mind; he should’ve been the one holding Shaun, not her. He should’ve told her he loved her more. He should’ve been a better husband. He found himself apologizing for things he had done in the Commonwealth, the things he had done to try and get to Shaun. He cried until he couldn’t anymore, slumped on the ground, his hand on hers.

When he had finally regained his composure, Erich felt a feeling of peace come over him. He didn’t know what prompted it, but he began talking to Nora. He told her about the good men and women he had met in the Commonwealth, about how they had helped him adapt to his new life. He told her how he had somehow become the one the Commonwealth had come to depend on for balance. His voice got soft when he talked about when he had found Shaun. He told her about the time he had spent with their grown son. He didn’t tell her about how their son had died from cancer or that he had been the leader of the Institute. Finally, he told her about Piper. He told her about how he and Piper had grown close in their travels across the Commonwealth.

“I want to start a new life with her, but… I can’t. You are my true love, my wife.” He whispered, looking up. “So… I came here to... ask your permission…” He looked back up at his wife. In that look, he felt her response.  _ Yes. I love you and want you to be the happiest you can. _

With a shuddering breath, Erich knelt up and gently pulled the wedding ring off of Nora’s left hand. With fresh tears in his eyes, Erich stood up and kissed Nora’s forehead, running his fingers through her hair. “I love you.”

Resealing the cryo pod, Erich pocketed the ring. He then slowly turned and began slowly walking out of the cryo chamber, leaving the cemetery of the ghost city of Vault 111.


End file.
